The Force Belongs to Us: THE LAST JEDI’s Beautiful Refocusing of Star Wars

I agree. Skywalkers shouldn't be the focus of the "Skywalker Saga", just like Potters shouldn't be the focus of the Harry Potter books...

 

You're right, there are Skywalkers in these new movies but would you say that they're the main character, that it's their story? I would argue that the ST is Rey's story and that she is the main character. The mere presence of a Skywalker doesn't make it a Skywalker story. Otherwise Rogue One would be a part of the "Skywalker Saga" instead of "A Star Wars Story" since it features not one but two Skywalkers. The Cursed Child has Harry in it, but that doesn't mean it's a part of the official "saga" composed of Years 1-7.

And as extra, please don't interpret my thoughts here as hatred towards TFA and TLJ. Both of those films are fun, enjoyable stories. My frustration is that they are not actual continuation of what Lucasfilm refers to as "The Skywalker Saga" aka Episode (insert # here). This trilogy should be called "Resistance/Rey/First Order/whatever:A Star Wars Story". Everyone is still waiting for the first spinoff trilogy. We already have it, well 2/3 of it at least.

 

As many as needed to tell the story of The Skywalker Family Saga. Both Luke (and soon to be for practical reasons) Leia, are now dead and you have a Skywalker villain with no Skywalker hero to help redeem him. Ultimately, that turns the Skywalkers into failures.

And if you aren't looking to tell that story of The Skywalkers, or you don't enjoy that story, or you don't like that story... on a fundamental level, you do not like the Star Wars Episodic Movies. Because that's what they are. They aren't Flash Gordon. They aren't the X-Men and feature randoms coming to terms with great power. They are STAR WARS... and per the Episodic Movies feature a narrative where you have the rise and fall of empires in Space juxtaposed against the trials and tribulations of a Family, which is the driving catalyst for change within that galaxy. That's what they are. That's why they sell. That's what makes them unique.

I don't care what else you want to write within that Galaxy to pretty it up. That's why we have standalones, either movies... or apparently in the future... Trilogies. But keep that stuff out of the main narrative, or otherwise you simply fracture The Skywalker Saga into multiple independent stories and do it a tragic disservice.

 

guess we'd better save that kid then. ; D

 

Then that makes us the hero of that story. Does nothing to change the fact that the family itself becomes a failure that had to be 'saved' through outside help.

In fact, one might say there is a Latin term for that. It gets misused a lot, but that is actually the pure definition of it. You literally would make Rey a Dues Ex Machina. An overpowered god-like entity inserted into the story in order to resolve an intractable dilemma in the narrative. That being, how do 'we' save the Skywalkers from themselves.

Properly written? You don't, they save themselves. But ultimately that means that Rey has to be one of them and a logical creation of the story, not the want to insert a solution from outside the narrative.

 

Luke committed suicide in order to punk out his nephew. WTG PAL. He also tried to kill him. But hey... like 15 people got away.. hip hip hooray?

Leia couldn't control her subordinates and had to slap them like General Patton. Her Resistance went from a fleet, to being able to fit on the Millennium Falcon and having to become the New Rebel Alliance. Got blown into space and only survived in a way Mary Poppins would appreciate.

If thats a success, i'd hate to see what your definition of failure is. About the only thing the character was successful at was surviving to see the next movie. Oh wait.. nevermind.

 

Luke saved his sister, what was left of her part of the resistance, and gave hope to the galaxy. Luke's theme has been hope. He was A New Hope and he continued his theme until the end. Life is full of ups and downs. Its not perfect. I do not see why the Skywalkers are expected to be any different. He started as Hope, had ups and downs and finished by giving Hope. I'm not sure how that is failure. Everyone has their own opinions though.

 

Those few remaining resistance members are, very literally, referred to as the Spark.

Luke saw value in saving them.

I guess anyone who disagrees thinks they're wiser than Luke. Let's see how that works out.

 

Because to some people they are deities and therefore not subject to human flaws.

 

Same. My stories of Luke Skywalker, the action figure, destroying worlds of bad guys would be boring as hell for 120 minutes.

 

And I really think people don't understand, Rian didn't put Luke on the island. JJ did. So shouldn't their outrage be at JJ not Rian? Or is it all misplaced in a part of something bigger...

 

Oh I don't disagree at all, I'm just saying if your issue is Luke, Rian isn't the one to blame.

 

Lobbying to replace 'Mary/Marty/Gary Sue' with 'Skywalker'.

Amirite?